title: Identifying state-level policy and provision domains for physical education and physical activity in high school.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  It is important to quickly and efficiently identify policies that are effective at changing behavior; therefore, we must be able to quantify and evaluate the effect of those policies and of changes to those policies. The purpose of this study was to develop state-level physical education (PE) and physical activity (PA) policy domain scores at the high-school level. Policy domain scores were developed with a focus on measuring policy change.
  
  
  METHODS
  Exploratory factor analysis was used to group items from the state-level School Health Policies and Programs Study (SHPPS) into policy domains. Items that related to PA or PE at the High School level were identified from the 7 SHPPS health program surveys. Data from 2000 and 2006 were used in the factor analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From the 98 items identified, 17 policy domains were extracted. Average policy domain change scores were positive for 12 policy domains, with the largest increases for "Discouraging PA as Punishment", "Collaboration", and "Staff Development Opportunities". On average, states increased scores in 4.94 ± 2.76 policy domains, decreased in 3.53 ± 2.03, and had no change in 7.69 ± 2.09 policy domains. Significant correlations were found between several policy domain scores.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Quantifying policy change and its impact is integral to the policy making and revision process. Our results build on previous research offering a way to examine changes in state-level policies related to PE and PA of high-school students and the faculty and staff who serve them. This work provides methods for combining state-level policies relevant to PE or PA in youth for studies of their impact.
authors.affiliation: Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1700 Martin Luther King Jr. BLVD. CB#7426, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
authors.forename: Derek
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hales
authors.forename: June
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stevens
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Murray
authors.forename: Dan R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Taber
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Roberts
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D015444:Exercise; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D006262:Health; D006801:Humans; D010806:Physical Education and Training; D011050:Policy Making; D011640:Public Policy; D011678:Punishment; D012572:School Health Services; D012574:Schools; D013192:Staff Development; D013219:State Government